This Dangerous Practice Is Proven to Hurt LGBT People — And It's Still Legal in 47 States

By Eliel Cruz | February 18, 2015 | 

Conversion therapy, also known as reparative therapy, is a dangerous pseudo-science intended to "change" LGBT people's sexual or gender identity. Despite the overwhelming evidence against the effectiveness and safety of the outdated practice — every peer-reviewed scientific organization has condemned it as ineffective and harmful to LGBT individuals — it's still legal in the majority of the country for anti-LGBT groups to promote it as a viable option to "cure" homosexuality.

A recent decision by a New Jersey Superior Court judge just might change that. Judge Peter F. Bariso Jr. ruled on Feb. 10 that conversion therapy is "consumer fraud," potentially setting the precedent for a long-overdue national ban on the deeply hurtful practice. It's about time: Conversion therapy is ultimately an act of violence against LGBT people. Read more...